Episode 1081 (17 January 1995)
Synopsis Steve takes Della out and makes a serious error of judgement. David tells Pat that the deal with Barry Evans at Manor Wood Motors is about to go through. Sound too good to be true? Well it is. There are a few conditions attached. Natalie develops an interest in car maintenance. Ruth and Mark discuss getting a place of their own. Mark and Ruth are talking in the Vic and Mark comments on how happy Ruth is working with kids, etc etc, she says that doesn't mean she wants some, and they should take life as it comes. Mark says she might do later on, but she reassures him. He also talks to Steve who shows him an expensive scarf he's bought for Della as he's arranged to go out to dinner with her. Mark says he thought it was to discuss the salon's future, and Steve says it may not be all business. Mark says "but she's gay". Steve replies "Nothing's incurable". Mark says he hopes it's a big restaurant, so there's room for Steve and Della plus Steve's ego. Della hasn't told Binnie that she's going out with Steve, and when she finds out, Binnie goes mad, and they row horrendously. Della storms off and Binnie cries. When she goes in to work, she is furious with Steve, who had told her that he "would swap Thursday shift for Saturday so that she and Della could go out together for a night out". They have a loud argument, with Steve telling her she is just jealous and she is used to Della always referring to her and being totally in control, and now Della has one thing that she's taking responsibility for, Binnie doesn't like not being in control of Della's life. Binnie says Steve's full of crap and goes off. Pat tells them to do some work. Binnie mopes around hopelessly all shift. Pat firstly told her off for being late, and then twice for not paying attention. Nellie is phoning the housing authority about the sheltered housing. She tells them that Jules' flat is a horrendous place to live, etc, and very overcrowded, and tries to find out when the officer will come to look around at her circumstances. She then goes slightly mad and gets a bag of clothes and puts them all over the place, labels all the tins of food that are hers so that they won't think they are "cohabiting". She's also being a pain and turning off Jules' music, which he was listening to, because she hates Miles Davis (whoever that is), even though she has tired hard, she says. Jules is horrified by the mess and later Nellie goes out to the Vic, moans to Blossom about not wanting to be there, and she is there because she's not in someone's way. Blossom later goes over to see Jules and tidies the place up, cooks him a meal, gets some frozen stuff to put on his sore back, etc. He is really pleased and happy that the place looks OK again. Nellie returns and sees it all, and apologises, and says it's because she is afraid and waffles on to Blossom about how she was put in a high rise flat with vandals who tortured and killed her cat, etc etc. Blossom says they wont put her in one of those, but Nellie is still worried. David has the whole deal with Barry and his father sorted out, and Pat looks it over and is thrilled with it, saying that it's a great deal and there are no strings attached, so it's wonderful. David goes to sign it in the Vic and Barry says that it can't be signed unless Pat and his father sign too, his father insists, and it will be over champagne and oysters with Pat there. David sighs and says that she's made up her mind and she's impossible to persuade when she's decided. Barry says tough, that's the deal. And his father is used to getting his own way, and he's not backing down over this. David tells her later over dinner. Steve and Della go out, Della is really creepy to him, being all friendly and flirty and they go to a Mexican restaurant, have some cocktails and a nice meal, etc. Della starts off by talking about the salon and has quite a few ideas for it. Steve sounds interested, says he will support her, etc, and she says thanks, she couldn't manage it without him. He says you could, but you wont have to and puts his hand on hers. Strangely, she doesn't immediately retract hers. Steve sympathises with Della about everything, and especially her differences with Binnie. She says she's not sure they were ever right for each other, and later on in the taxi home Steve brings it up again and says maybe she isn't gay. She laughs in his face, but he persists and tries to kiss her. She is furious and tells him to get out of the taxi right now. He's left standing in the middle of the road. Meanwhile, back at the Vic, Binnie is "working", but her mind is not on it. When Mark comes up to get a drink he reassures her, and says that it will be OK, Della can look after herself. Binnie chats to him and says she's worried and she's the first woman Della has ever been out with. Mark says, no, she isn't interested in Steve, and they are good together, Della won't do anything dumb. Binnie looks marginally happier, though she's not got any makeup on and generally looks terrible. Ricky goes into the café and Natalie gives him extremely large portions and generally creeps to him. Kathy notices her being attentive and says to Ricky "do you always have this effect on women" Ricky says, with his usual sharpness "Duh what". When he goes to Pat's for dinner, he's going on about it, not being hungry because Natalie, etc etc...David says you've done nothing but talk about Natalie this evening. Ricky says well she's a nice girl. David says "And does Bianca know that". Ricky says (totally missing the point) "of course, she's her best mate". David says oh never mind. Credits Main cast *Paul Bradley as Nigel *Nicola Duffett as Debbie *Lindsey Coulson as Carol *Howard Antony as Alan *Natalie Cassidy as Sonia *Sid Owen as Ricky *Patsy Palmer as Bianca *Lucy Speed as Natalie *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Bill Treacher as Arthur *Susan Tully as Michelle *Pam St. Clement as Pat *Michael French as David *Deepak Verma as Sanjay *Shobu Kapoor as Gita *Tommy Eytle as Jules *Elizabeth Kelly as Nellie *Mona Hammond as Blossom *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Devon Anderson as Billy *Gillian Taylforth as Kathy *Michelle Joseph as Della *Sophie Langham as Binnie *Ian Soundy as Punter *Ron Tarr as Big Ron Category:Episode Category:1995 Episodes